Daihatsu Midget Racing Is as Fantastic as It Sounds

Track battles from Japanese TV show Best Motoring are always great, but sometimes, they outdo themselves. This race featuring seven–seven!–Daihatsu Midgets is one such battle. These baby trucks may be slower than your average go-kart, but the action is as good as anything from F1.

The Daihatsu Midgets featured here are actually second-generation vehicles, introduced in 1996. Each Midget is equipped with a 659-cc three-cylinder engine pumping out 31 horsepower, and each weighs around 1256 lbs. Two of the Midgets here have shorter beds than the others, so they were fitted with ballasts to compensate for the weight difference. Have to make sure it's fair.

While we love F1, WEC, and NASCAR, this proves that you don't need much to make exciting racing happen. Just a track like Tsukuba Circuit, seven talented drivers, and a small fleet of Daihatsu Midgets. FIA, if you're reading this, motorsports fans need and deserve a spec series like this.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Road & Track participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.